Refuse disposal



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July ll, 1963 XIIIIIW May 10, 1966 Filed July ll, 1963 s. M. KoLLlNG 3,250,413

REFUSE DISPOSAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3,259,43 REFUSE DESFSAL Byron M. Koling, 23 @i626 Geneva Road, Glen Eilyn, iii. Filed July 11, i963, Ser. No. 294,4l2 4 Ciaims. (Ci. 21d- S My invention relates to refuse disposal and includes among its objects and advantages an improved type of intermediate storage container adapted to accumulate refuse of all sorts from kitchens or other sources, and to be emptied periodically by power means such as a storage truck equipped with mechanism for picking up the large container and inverting it to empty its 'contents into the storage body of the truck.

There have been for several years on the market a wide variety of such storage trucks equipped with a wide variety of mechanisms for picking up a container and emptying into the truck. Nearly all of these require the container to carry pintles or similar lateral projections extending from various portions of the container, such as the side corners at the front or the ends at a point above the ordinary center of gravity.

`United States Patent O M' The forces to which such a container is subjected when the power mechanism is turning it over and emptying it are many times greater than the forces it must endure at any other time. To make the entirety of the container wall heavy enough to enable the container to `carry the forces of the emptying process would render it prohibitively expensive and objectionably heavy. T he problem of enabling such a relatively thin container shell to function under heavy loads involves local reinforcement to distribute the working stress throughout the structure of the container at times when the load is critical.

One object of the invention, accordingly, is to produce a substantially' universal container adapted to cooperate with all, or nearly all, of the disposal trucks on the market, and also to present an outside contour without dangerous projections, on which playing children can injure themselves, and by the presence of which the ordinary user is often ineonvenienced for lack `of suicient clearance to move the container from place to place.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG-URE 1 is a perspective view of a specific container according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective of the same container looking from the rear and slightly downward;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation of the top portion of the container of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of the upper edge of one of the end walls of the container of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a conventional indication of a storage truck;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 indicating the container of FIGURE l juxtaposed and about to be lifted for emptying;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary diagram of one position the container may occupy on its way to the completely inverted position for final emptying.

FIGURE 8 is an exploded view, partly in cross-section, on line 8 3 of FIGURE l, with the sealing cap removed, and the pintle in the position of use.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration the container 1t) has a body of conventional shape with a front wall i2 inclined forwardly and arear wall 14, which may be inclined slightly rearward but is preferably vertical when the entirev equipment is resting on a horizontal surface. A conventional bottom (not shown) and end walls 16 and 18 complete the enclosure of all except the top side of the space occupied.

ZEli Patented May 10, 1965 ICC The container is illustrated on four caster wheels of which the wheels 22 at one end are on fixed axes parallel to the long dimension of the container, which is referred to as the transverse dimension because the Container is manipulated by the loading mechanism of the truck with its long dimension transverse to the direction of movement of the truck. The other pair of casters 24 may be swiveled on vertical axes for convenience in enabling the user to push the container around. It is emphasized that a common capacity for such a container as that illustrated is two cubic yards, and that the Container itself weighs about 15() pounds and is bulky, especially when loaded, and pushing it around is a task calling for the exertion of substantial manual forces.

The container is illustrated as provided with two sheet covers 25 and 23 each with its separate lifting handle 30 and 32. The upper edge of the end walls 16 and 18 is inclined upwardly and forwardly when the container rests on a horizontal surface so that rain water or other uids will drain od the surfaces of the lids 26 and 2S. The rear edge of each cover is rolled into a tube 34 and 35 and both tubes can be pivoted on a single pintle 38, the end of which appears in FIGURE 2. This pintle carries no load except that of the cover and can be of relatively small diameter. The entire exposed surface has a continuous downward slope do'wn to, and including, the tubular portion enclosing the pintle 38.

An upper portion of each end wall is reinforced over a substantial area extending down from the upper edge, by a reinforcing plate dit considerably thicker than the end wall to which it is affixed. The plate 4) is also extended around the corner of the container at 42 to overlie a substantial co-rner portion of the front wall 12 and brace the entire corner where the heavy mechanical stresses incident to emptying the container originate, and

must be distributed into the body of the container. The

upper edge of the front wall 12 is Wrapped partly around a heavy reinforcing tube 44 as indicated at 46 in FIGURE 1, and welded to the tube. The tube 44 is the principal transverse bracing member to enable the entire container to endure the heavy loads of emptying. In combination with the side plates 4d, the tube 44- completes a U shaped upper structure such that when the loaded container is picked up, the stress in all four of the thin side and end walls will be tension stress. rlhe ends of the tube i4 are open as indicated at 48 in FIGURE 1, but they do not project materially beyond the end walls 16. Centrally located in the reinforcement plate 49 I lhave indicated an embossment 5d to further stiifen this plate, and an operating handle 52 is made an integral part of the structure, as by welding. rhe operating handle 52 may carry a disc 54 to prevent a lifting hook 56 engaged with the handle for lifting the container, from slipping out of place when the force applied is in a direction that might cause the hook to slide to t'he far end of the handle.

Means are provided for holding a removable pintle in place in the tube d4 during the emptying operation. I have illustrated the pintle 5S having its main body cylindrical and having spaced guide flanges 60 at one end for cooperating with lifting mechanism on the truck.

Containers of the general type here illustrated have in the past been provided with pintles having lateral ends functionally identical with those illustrated herein, but the pintles were a permanent assembly and part of the container. Except when the pintle is being used to empty the container, this pintle 58 performs no useful function; but children playing are apt to injure themselves by colliding with it. Also, it adds a substantial amount to the clearance needed to maneuver such a container into and out of freight elevators or the like. Another significant consideration is that to .provide each individual container with two such heavy pintles adds to the Weight of the container and very materially to the cost of the container.

According to the invention, a single pair of pintles are carried by the truck and may be slipped into place quickly for emptying each of the scores of containers that the truck services from week to week. In FIGURES 5, 6, and 7 I have indicated diagrammatically a conventional truck body d having a conventional rear axle '79 and wheels il and a receiving housing 72 in the nature of side Walls having a rear opening adapted to receive the in verted container and permit it to be emptied into the body of the truck.

On each side of the side walls 72, I have indicated, conventionally, a receiver in the nature of brackets '74, one aihxed to each of the side walls 72, and having a tubular portion at '76 to receive the shank 78 of the pintle 58.

This is inclined downwardlyat an angle so that gravity will hold the inserted pintle in the position illustrated in FIGURE 5, limited in downward movement by engagement of the plate 62 with the end of the tubular portion 76.

In most installations, additional convenience is served by having the pintle connected to a light chain lill of adequate strength to carry the weight of the pintle, and of sufiicient length to permit the pintle .to be removed and put into an adjacent container and used for emptying, This eliminates accidental loss of the pintle through inadvertence or carelessness.

Any one of a wide variety of different linkages and transmissions may be employed to lift the container from the position illustrated in FIGURE 6 through the position illustrated in FIGURE 7 and beyond that to a position opening directly downward to discharge the contents of the container into the truck body. I have indicated diagrammatically a spacer arm S2 pivoted at 84 and a bumper 86 positioned where the front wall of the container will engage it to initiate the tipping movement of the container when either of the cables 88 or 9@ is employed to pull the container up to the position of FIG- URE 7 and beyond.

To protect the relatively thin Walls l2, I6, and 13 from injury by striking against the bumper 86, I position a bumper at each end of the wall l2. vEach bumper cornprises a structural angle of greater thickness than the wall 12, having a short leg 92 welded to the end vwall and a long leg 94 welded to the front Wall. The contact means proper is a ridge 96 in the nature of a corrugation in the leg 94. This ridge defines a rib that reinforces the metal of the leg 94 and multiplies its mechanical strength against the impact manyfold. The rounded apex of the ridge carries the entire force of striking against the bumper 86.

For most loads of ordinary garbage or ordinary household trash, a lifting cable 88 may be safely employed without overloading the container structure. To take care of special service where the loads are exceptionally heavy, I provide the rear end of the reinforcing plate 40 with an end plate 98, which provides a double thickness of metal at the rear end of the plate di), and carries at its rear end an ear 19t?, apertured at i492 to receive the hook 163 at .the end of the tension cable 9d. Inspection of FIGURE 6 will indicate clearly that in the position of initial lifting, the tension cable 90 engaged with the rear ear lll@ passes the pintle 53 along a line of force about twice as far from the pintle, so that a given container load will require about half vas much cable tension and half as much load on the pintle S if cable 9d is doing the pulling.

To further facilitate the use of the container Without other change for other types of loading mechanism on the truck, I also provide a tubular receiving means adapted to receive the same pintle 58 over in the middle of the end plate 16, well above the center of gravity. As best indicated in detail in FIGURE 8 the plate 16 is apertured to receive a guide tube 104 having its outer end welded to the end plate as indicated at 106. A sheet metal -cone 108 has its large base in edge contact with the end plate 16 and welded thereto at ll@ and its smaller end encircles .the tube M4 and is welded to the tube at 112. It will be apparent that this constitutes the tube 104 a rigid unit with the end plate I6 and distributes the rnechanical twisting force `of a lifting load over a large area of the plate. In FIGURE 8, I .have shown the inserted pintle 53. The end plate I6 may be dished in at H4 to provide a shallow cup and to stillen the plate.

It will be apparaent that the same pintles 5S can be slipped into the tubes 194 in the ends of the container whenever the truck has a loading mechanism designed to pick up the contain-er by a pintle so located.

When the pintle is removed, it is desirable to have the tube 14M closed to prevent circulation of gases or iluids into and out of the container. I have indicated a shallow groove 116 in the interior surface of the tube 104 and a cover cap E18 having spring arms l2@ with terminal humps 122 adapted to rest in the groove 116 and hold the cap in place.

Inserted into the tube ad, or into the tube 104, the pintle 53 will normally be held in inserted position during the loading by the mechanism engaging the pintle 53 between the flanges dll. For heavy loads or with lifting mechanisms that do not have adequate holding action, I provide a quick-detachable locking means to prevent axial displacement of the pintle. The triangular plate 62 has its short leg edge-welded to the pintle, and its long leg extends radially away from the pintle axis. Twin angles 66 welded on the plate 4G provide a receiving slot to receive the plate 62. This assures that the plate 62 will not rotate around the axis of pintle 58 during loading; and if load conditions are severe, a locking pin 64 can be dropped through aligned openings in the angles 64 and the plate 62 to lock the pintles firmly against axial displacement.

Other-s may readily adapt the invention for use under various conditions of service, by employing one or more of the novel features disclosed, or equivalents thereof. For instance, an intermediate leverage for the tension cable could be provided by duplicating the disc 54 at the remote end of the main reach of the handle 52. As at present advised, with respect to the apparent scope of the invention, I desire to claim the following subject matter.

1. Material handling equipment comprising, in operative combination: a mobile vehicle having a receiving body adapted to receive and store material; said body having an opening adapted to receive the material to be stored; a plurality of containers each having a body adapted to hold material up to a minor fraction of the capacity of said vehicle body, whereby said vehicle can load the contents of a plurality of containers; each container having dimensions permitting it to discharge by gravity into said receiving body opening; said mobile vehicle having mechanisms extending rearwardlyv and adapted to engage pivotal members associated with a container and' lift said container and members to a position to empty said container by gravi-ty into said body; and a single pair of pivotal members adapted to be quickly assembled with any container for emptying the same, and quickly disassembled and separated from said container; whereby a single pair of pivotal members can be kept with said =body and service an indefinite number of containers devoid of pivots; certain of said containers being provided with socket means at adjacent top corners to receive said pivot members, and with additional socket means in their end walls remote from all corners; whereby a variety of different lifting mechanisms can be used, including types adapted to engage corner pivots and other types adapted to engage end pivots.

2. Equipment according to claim l in which each end wall socket includes an approximately horizontal tube adapted to receive one of said pivot members; the outer end of said tube ending substantially in the plane of the end wall supporting it.

3. Equipment according to claim 2 in which a conical reinforcing member is aflixed to the inner surface of each container end wall; said reinforcing member having its large end aixed to said end wall concentric with the pivot axis; said member having a small truncated end affixed to the inner end of said tube socket.

4. Material handling equipment comprising, in operative combination: a moble vehicle having a receiving body adapted to receive and store material; said body having an opening adapted to receive the material to be stored; a plurality of containers each having a body adapted to hold material up to a minor fraction of the capacity of said vehicle body, whereby said vehicle can load the contents of a plurality of containers; each container having dimensions permitting it to discharge by gravity into said receiving body opening; said mobile vehicle having mechanisms extending rearwardly and adapted to engage pivotai members associated with a container and lift said container and members to a position to empty said container by gravity into said body; and a single pair of pivotal members adapted to be quickly assembled with any container for emptying the same, and quickly disassembled and separated from said container; whereby a single pair of pivotal members can be kept with said body and service an indeiinite number of containers devoid of pivots; said body carrying externally accessible receiving means adjacent each side of said body opening; said receiving means being adapted to hold said pivotal members removeably in convenient position to be grasped by an operator standi-ng beside said container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,272,500 7/1918 Moser 214-3844 2,928,562 3/1960 Golinick 214-302 3,136,575 6/1964 Kolling 214-302 X HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Examiner.

A. GRANT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT COMPRISING, IN OPERATIVE COMBINATION: A MOBILE VEHICLE HAVING A RECEIVING BODY ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND STORE MATERIAL; SAID BODY HAVING AN OPENING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE MATERIAL TO BE STORED; A PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS EACH HAVING A BODY ADAPTED TO HOLD MATERIAL UP TO A MINOR FRACTION OF THE CAPACITY OF SAID VEHICLE BODY, WHEREBY SAID VEHICLE CAN LOAD THE CONTENTS OF A PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS; EACH CONTAINER HAVING DIMENSIONS PERMITTING IT TO DISCHARGE BY GRAVITY INTO SAID RECEIVING BODY OPENING; SAID MOBILE VEHICLE HAVING MECHANISMS EXTENDING REARWARDLY AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE PIVOTAL MEMBERS ASSOCIATED WITH A CONTAINER AND LIFT SAID CONTAINER AND MEMBERS TO A POSITION TO EMPTY SAID CONTAINER AND MEMBERS TO A POSITION A SINGLE PAIR OF PIVOTAL MEMBERS ADAPTED TO BE QUICKLY ASSEMBLED WITH ANY CONTAINER FOR EMPTYING THE SAME, AND 